The present invention relates to a process for producing natamycin characterized by inoculum preparation, inoculum propagation and fermentation in a broth having a pH from about 5.0 through about 6.5.
Natamycin is a member of the polyene family of antimycotics. The compound natamycin is a tetraene with a molecular weight of about 666, empirical formula corresponding generally to C.sub.33 H.sub.47 NO.sub.13, and it contains a glycosidically-linked carbohydrate moiety, mycosamine. Natamycin has an isoelectric point of about pH 6.5. The structure of natamycin exist typically in two configurations: the enol-structure and the keto-structure.
The production of natamycin has been known for years. A conventional fermentation process for producing natamycin is disclosed in American Cyanamid's British Patent No. 846,933 (1960). The disclosure of United Kingdom Patent No. 846,933 is hereby incorporated by reference.
Despite the antibiotic and anti-fungal value of natamycin, very little commercial use has been made of this product. One major reason for the limited use is the prohibitively high manufacturing cost of natamycin.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome the inefficiencies of conventional processes and provide a process for producing natamycin in a cost-effective manner by propagating and fermenting an inoculum in predetermined media having a controlled pH.